Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Chris Burn - John Butcher - Rhodri Davies - John Edwards...

Chris Burn - John Butcher - Rhodri Davies - John Edwards: The First Two Gigs

By Glenn Astarita
February 1, 2002
View read count

Chris Burn - John Butcher - Rhodri Davies - John Edwards: The First Two Gigs

The world of free-style improvisation can be a lonely place. Music of this ilk may conjure up notions of kindred spirits rehearsing in hidden chambers rich with intimacy, oneness of spirit, and microcosmic frameworks.

On this release, some of these sensibilities come to mind, thanks to the instrumentalists' penetrating exchanges and elusive statements. With their first release as a quartet (after prior affiliations), the band merges edgy (and slightly neurotic) underpinnings with faint trills and micro motifs. Saxophonist John Butcher executes grinding notes, pops and split tones while harpist Rhodri Davies' ethereal voicings seemingly instigate the group's probing and thoroughly conversational mode of attack. The band also pursues geometrically divergent patterns and contrasting tonalities while also utilizing space as a means of redefining previous movements into newfound dialects.

This quartet transports its spellbinding musicality into the comfort and familiarity of your personal space. Recommended.

EMANEM

Track Listing

1.Low Standard 2.High Standard 3.The Remove 4.Scharlachglut 5.Russelliana 6.Souvenir De Docteur

Personnel

John Butcher

saxophone

Chris Burn: piano & percussion

Album information

Title: The First Two Gigs | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Emanem

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Opium
< Previous

IAJE 2002 in Long Beach: Booth Photo...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.